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Here's how the Volkswagen Beetle became the world's best-selling car, at least for a while

From a German people's car to a global success, check out the Type 1's history

January 22, 2018

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Nearly everyone can immediately call to mind the shape of one of the best-selling cars ever -- the Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle. Originally designed under Ferdinand Porsche’s leadership, the Beetle was supposed to be a cheap and reliable car for the people. It also heavily resembled the Tatra 97 -- so much so that Tatra sued Porsche over the design. That lawsuit was mostly settled when Hitler’s Germany invaded Tatra’s home of Czechoslovakia.

The same events also meant that the then-named KDF-Wagen had to be put on hold for the German war effort. The factory slated for Beetle production was converted to military use and was heavily bombed during the war. Long story short, Germany lost and Beetle production eventually resumed -- the Tatra lawsuit was also financially settled.

After the war, the Beetle slowly (then quickly) became a global sales phenomenon. By 1972, the Volkswagen Beetle's production numbers knocked off the Ford Model T as the best-selling car ever (a title it has since lost to the Toyota Corolla). Officially, the Beetle was produced from 1938 to 2003 in various forms, which is hard to wrap the mind around.

Want to hear the rest of the Beetle’s history? Check out the video above.